Othello’s Italian Restaurant

The food was absolutely amazing! The atmosphere was great except for the person in charge of the kitchen was barking orders to the point of unprofessionalism. There is a difference between communicating and being condescending towards coworkers. Her attitude detracted from an otherwise pleasant night out. However, our waiter Buck was very competent and nice.

It pains me to give Othello’s a 2 star review, but it was almost 1. When I was in college and grad school, I ate at Othello’s all the time. At least weekly, and often more than once a week. I celebrated every event here, had my first date with my wife here, and had a bunch of other great times on random nights. We got friendly with the staff back then, and they would make us stuff off the menu. I was a «regular» in every sense of the word.
Since I moved back to Oklahoma (spring of 2014) I hadn’t been back. I had heard different things about the new menu, and I was eating at new places in Norman and OKC. I went for the first time the other night, and the service left a lot to be desired. I went with a friend and his daughter on a Thursday. We had to wait 15 minutes for a seat, which was fine, I was glad Othello’s was doing a good business. When we were seated, a server came to take our drink orders. After about 5 minutes, we had our drinks. At that time, we put in our salad and appetizer order. About 10 minutes later, the server returned and we placed our dinner order. Then began the long wait…
About 10 minutes later, 1 of our salads was brought out. When we inquired about the other salad, we discovered it hadn’t even been put in the system. So, the server ran and got us another salad. After we finished our salads we inquired about our appetizer (stuffed mushrooms). Another apology from the server, and he went to put those in. He came back another 10 minutes later and told us they were out of stuffed mushrooms. Thinking our food would be out soon, we opted not to order another appetizer.
Our food was not out soon. And, the 3 of us each ordered pasta dishes (a child’s portion of fettuccine alfredo, linguine with white clam sauce, and the special of the day, which was a sausage and peppers sauce over pasta). We waited. We finished our carafe of wine. We waited some more. We finished our bread. We received another loaf of bread. And, we waited. We finished that second loaf. When a table that sat down a half hour after we did received their food we had to say something. I spoke with the manager, and our food was out within 2 minutes after that.
The server came over and apologized again (at least for the third time, maybe more. we were close to a half dozen apologies for the entire evening). I am guessing that he failed to put our entire order beyond drinks and one salad in the system (he was quick to offer more wine, which of course padded the bill), and when the manager found out what happened they made our dishes immediately.
I had the sausage and peppers dish. It was listed as spicy, and it had no heat whatsoever. The sauce lacked seasoning as well. I did like the sausage, and the tortellini was cooked well. I would say this was a 3 star dish, so had the service been at least average I would have given Othello’s 3 stars. The best thing about the meal was the bread. They’ve significantly upgraded in that department since I frequented the place. The bread is hot, toasty, and covered in butter and garlic. Fantastic.
The manager of the kitchen came out to apologize, and I asked her if we could get some cheesecake for our trouble. She said absolutely, and that was delivered within 10 minutes. I hear they order their cheesecake from a place in NYC, and it showed. It was fantastic. Creamy, rich, thick, but not overly so. Textbook cheesecake. Absolutely get this.
However, we were extremely annoyed to find the cheesecake on the bill. At this point, we had been at the restaurant well over 2 hours. I know this because my parking meter was over 40 minutes expired when I got back to the car, and I put in 90 minutes when I arrived. Given how long we had been there, we were not in a mood to fight about the bill. So, we just paid it.
I imagine I will return, maybe try one of the steaks, or go back to the white clam sauce, which was one of my standbys years ago. I am hopeful that this was a one time occurrence and I can update Othello’s rating accordingly. But, the evening went really poorly, so it may be some time before I head back.

The only reason why this get even one star is that we laughed so hard at the complete incompetency of this «Italian» restaurant. This place is about as Italian as I guess you would expect in Norman Oklahoma. I’m a full blooded Italian and I was embarrassed to be in there. The pizza is from a cardboard box without a doubt. The manicotti was burned and so overcooked it was stuck to the dish. It seemed like they were 86 half the menu and aside from the waiter obviously being half baked and not knowing what was even on the menu you would think they would tell you when you sit down. Still can’t believe people were waiting in line after a big game to eat this food. I guess when you are stuck in the middle of Oklahoma this is what you get and I am not a restaurant snob. Forgot about the guy walking around in a football helmet begging. Not sure what that was about but the whole experience was laughable.

Wow, very poor service, below average food (pizza and manicotti specifically), and paper plates and plastic cups. Seriously, wine was served in small plastic cups.
Will not return and would suggest caution before consuming.

Othello’s probably isn’t the best Italian food I’ve ever had, however it isn’t the worst either. The pepperoni chips were pretty dang good! I had the angel hair pasta with shrimp and veggies with an Alfredo sauce. Overall, it was good but nothing to write home about. My date did not like his chicken and pasta at all.
The service was a tad slow but not unbearable unless you’re starving.
I wasn’t wowed by this restaurant in the least bit and probably will not want to return.

Authentically Norman in every way. You won’t find white tablecloths or tuxedoed waitstaff at Othello’s. What you will find is great Italian food and served by friendly people in a chill environment. Families are welcome. Couples can enjoy fantastic ambience. The dining room, the patio, and the bar each have something unique to offer. This is one of the most reliable live music venues in town, and the entertainment is geared toward… hold on to your knickers… adults!
But the fifth star for Othello’s in 2015 comes down to one thing. You can’t find a better ribeye anywhere in this city. Tender and juicy this reasonably priced Italian joint grills Oklahoma beef at the absolute pinnacle. In fact you will need to plan on dropping Benjamins to find a better steak anywhere in the state. And, this shouldn’t distract you from the genuine Italian selections either. My Italian-​raised friends all agree, Othello’s is as close to Grandma’s house as they can find «over here».

We are long time residents in Norman and love the patio at Othello’s. The food is fabulous. BUT, when patrons let their children run and scream and kick soccer balls into the dining area (and don’t make them stop) it’s just not fun anymore. This is the second time in a row this has happened to us and while we love Othello’s we will think twice about it when we want a nice dinner on the patio.

The food here has gotten dramatically better within the last year or so. My family and like to go when it’s decent outside to sit on the patio with friends and our little ones like playing out there.

Gotta go when the piano guy is there 3 times a week. I think he leaves at 830pm, billy joel, elton john…

We went to othellos for my birthday and i picked it because i decided to overlook some of the bad reviews that i had read, because of one review i read that said «best calamari I’ve had in a while you can tell it was hand breaded» being that i love calamari i decided to try it. it really did taste like a fish stick. i got the chicken primavera and when we got the bill i was shocked that it cost $ 20! it was good but not that good! all i’m saying is this place is good just not worth the money they charge for it

I’m not quite sure why it took me 10 years of living in Norman to try out such a long-​standing local restaurant so close to home. Maybe it was the poor Unilocal reviews, maybe it was the other Italian restaurant on campus corner, ten steps away. When I found out the owners from the Othello’s in Edmond were taking over this location, I decided it was time to give it a try, mostly because I had memories of Italian cream cake dancing through my head from when I was in high school and used to eat at the Edmond restaurant.
The atmosphere is very cool. I love places that I feel comfortable dressing up or being super-​casual. This is one of them. Perfect for a date night. Very family-​friendly. I saw lots of babies. And there is a nice-​looking patio that I plan to try out this summer. It was really crowded, so they asked us if we wanted to sit at the bar for dinner. That was fine with us, and it turned out to be a really great thing because they had live music going on the whole night. (By the way, the bar top is nice and BIG so it’s not like you can’t spread out like some places when you eat at the bar.)
Our service was perfect! Our waitress knew what we wanted before we had a chance to ask (i.e. Asking us if we wanted a ranch with our fried zucchini even though it only comes with marinara, bringing extra napkins). She was really friendly and attentive. The food had some hits and misses. My chicken piccata was delicious! My husband was only so-​so with his salmon and veggies. We thought the bread was good, but a little less flavorful than it could have been. But the Italian cream cake that I had remembered was spot on! I have another favorite bakery in town, but this cake stands as my favorite dessert.
I will return to this Othello’s in Norman and I recommend it to anyone who has never been, or maybe if you just haven’t been since it changed owners.

One of the worse dining experiences of my life. I had the sampler for my appetizer. Everything in it was bland or burnt. The bread that came with the meal looked amazing but was flavorless. The waitress barely new anything about the menu (she did seem to be new). My girlfriend order the parmesan chicken salad, which was the size of a side salad at most restaurants, which had no cheese and when asked the manager told the waitress to tell us that Parmesan chicken just means that it is breaded. I had the parmesan artichoke with alfredo. The artichoke had an odd flavor to it and there was a layer of grease floating on top. When I complained to the manger she told me that was odd because they had just opened that can of artichokes.
The atmosphere was horrible. They had a paint and palette going on in a side room and the entire time we were there you could hear some sort of PA system. The décor was very dusty and dirty looking. For the amount of servers there the service was slow and piss poor. The food is extremely over priced not only do to the size but also the quality. I would never recommend this place to anyone.

It was happy birthday to my ears when I found out my sweet husband, Colin, decided he was going to throw me a birthday party at Othello’s. I had been working out of OKC on a project for a few months so the Norman location fit well to include new and college friends.
I had gone to Othello’s several times as an OU student for open mic nights to have a drink and watch the local talent but had yet to eat there. I love the location as it sits right off the main drag of campus corner so it feels more intimate and the patrons seem more intentional. Inside is cozy with dimmed lighting. One side specifically features the restaurant with booth and table seating. The other side is where my birthday was celebrated. There is a bar, space to put together tables for a group, and a stage with a piano and some mics.
Colin said the staff was so helpful when it came to planning the party. They gave him a list of entrees to choose from to put on a separate printed birthday menu as he was footing our guest’s meal bill. Many people did not RSVP until the last minute but the Othello’s staff was flexible in accommodating the flux number.
Live music and events frequent Othello’s so be sure to checkout their website for listings of all scheduled happenings! The night of my birthday, a local pianist played beautiful jazz and blues standards.
Our party of 25 was comfortably seated and the service was excellent. My one star deduction comes from my entrée. I had the spinach and cheese ravioli and Colin had the lasagna. Both were a little too salty for me.
Highly recommend hosting celebrations or group hangouts at this cozy and classy campus corner spot!

This was one of my favorite place as a college kid many years ago, however tried again after many years and BAD, the worst pizza that I have ever had. dry brittle crust almost void of any sauce, very little topping.

Othello’s probably has the worst service I have ever experienced in my life and the food isn’t much better. It is a mystery how this place stays open. The last time I went there with my family we ended up staying for around 2 hours because our server was the most terrible excuse for a waiter I have ever seen. Our food arrived about 30 minutes after a table that arrived long after we did. Did he forget to put in our order? Probably. And we waited for 20 minutes for drink refills, and then another 20 – 30 minutes for our ticket. Then after my step-​dad gave him his credit card, it took him another 15 minutes to bring it back. This, unfortunately, is not an exaggeration. 2 stars because the garlic rolls are tasty (but that’s the only thing – my step-​dad wouldn’t even eat his spaghetti). I would never recommend this place to anyone and will most likely never go back.

I had the pizza which was pretty decent. If you walk in pass the dinning area and sit out in the patio. I came here on a Saturday night after OU game. Very nice atmosphere and they had live band. There was no cover and the drinks were reasonable.

Went to Othello’s on a game night and was shocked. The Calimari was nothing more than limp, fried, fish stick tasting something. We very rarely ever return food but the quality of the «fish» gave us no choice. Upon doing so, the manager told us how it was the highest quality and didn’t understand (brutal). Next, the pasta dish… the pasta wasn’t even cooked all the way and the sauce tasted like it was watered down. Upon letting the waiter know (which he was great btw) nothing changed, no apologies or bill rate cut.
Never going to return.

Went there on half-​price pizza and jazz night with some friends from work. We had eggplant fries, bruschetta, garlic bread, and stuffed mushrooms for appetizers and we got 3 small pizzas (which were huge) for dinner. We sat outside to listen to the jazz and talk. The food was wonderfull, the drinks were good, it was a great atmosphere for hanging out and talking, and the waitress was awesome, she had most of the tables outside and a few inside and she took care of everybody without a hitch. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone.

Yes — Othello’s is an Italian restaurant — but, if you ask those who dine there on a regular basis — they will tell you it’s the STEAKS that take the cake. It’s true, Othello’s serves up the best quality, most tender and perfectly cooked steaks of anywhere in Norman, or OKC, for that matter. Another well kept secret is the seafood. I have tried it all, many times. The calamari appetizer is light and crispy with the perfect amount of chew (ask for extra lemon slices for squeezing). The Grilled Salmon is nothing short of mouthwatering and the Mussels, a hearty portion, steamed in a tomato, garlic & white wine broth (comes with a side of pasta if you want to toss the two together), are the best in town.
Thinking about appetizers? Start with the Cheesy Garlic Bread, broiled to crispy perfection & served with marinara for dipping. The Garlic Rolls (pizza dough rolled thin & wrapped into chewy little balls, baked and tossed with garlic & olive oil with marinara for dipping. Of the salads, try the Anti Pasta; crispy iceberg lettuce studded with black olives, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, cucumbers, onions, mozzarella and pinwheels of thinly sliced salami, ham and fresh mozzarella, finished with tangy house made red wine vinaigrette OR get the Chop Salad featuring romaine, blue cheese, tomatoes, avocados, and more in every bite (try it with grilled chicken breast for an entrée).
If you’re craving pasta, order the Chicken Parmesan, Chicken Florentine (chunks of grilled chicken breast, spinach and Portabella mushrooms, tossed with fettuccine in a light Marsala cream sauce) OR the Veal & Chicken Marsala (sop up the rich sauce with complimentary freshly baked bread).
Pizza. Many locals will tell you Othello’s pizza is the best. The hand-​tossed crust is on the crisper side, the topping choices include all the usual, with the addition of extras like artichokes, pesto, meatballs, and shrimp.
Saved room for dessert? The Tiramisu is a dependable classic or indulge in the gooey decadence of the Chocolate Layer Cake. The Lemon Cheesecake is a standout; it’s touch of tartness balanced by a mildly sweet shortbread crust. Check out the dessert case in the front — there’s usually several items to choose from.
Those who appreciate ambiance won’t be let down, from the dimly lit dining area, featuring candlelit booths, don’t be surprised to hear one of the Brat Pack’s best playing just loud enough. For a change of pace, try the bar and enjoy live music or piano playing on weekends. Don’t forget to take advantage of the half-​priced pizza during happy hour.
If you enjoy patio dining at it’s best, Othello’s is a warm weather must. From the lovely hand-​painted mural decorating the outdoor wall, to the liberal number of heat lamps and their silent promise to keep diners toasty, to the brightly-​hued flowers peeking from their pots, and last, but certainly not least, the delicious Italian fare sent steaming from the kitchen.

Expensive and over-​rated but decent pizza and nice atmosphere.
Likes: The atmosphere is fun, especially around OU football season. Lots of local sports-​related celebs hang out there. The pizza is okay and runs at a decent price — around $ 12. They also have a great outdoor patio. If you’re a wino, they’ve got you covered big time, with a strong selection of pricey wines for your drinking pleasure. They do have a few daily specials available for those who seek them.
Dislikes: Othello’s is too expensive for what you get, simply put. We’re talking $ 5 for a bowl of soup, $ 6 for a few mozzarella sticks, $ 14 for chicken marsala! On top of that, the pasta isn’t very good. Also, unless you either love seafood or veal, your options are pretty much limited to either pizza or bad pasta.
If you want pizza, go to ToTo’s around the corner. If you want pasta, go to Victoria’s (also around the corner). If you want atmosphere and drinks, go to Othello’s.